First, there was Batman, who was orphaned at a young age and grew up to fight crime with his athletic prowess. Then, there was Atlanta’s own Julie Ann McKevitt, who fosters young children and has grown up to fight for underserved youth with her artistic talent.
She may not be Batman, but between her hopeful vision, impeccable skill, and generous heart, McKevitt could give any superhero a run for their money.
Whether she’s painting popsicles, splashing murals on the Atlanta BeltLine, raising foster children, or teaching local youth the immense healing power of the arts, McKevitt is blanketing Atlanta with happiness and hope. You can see her pieces on display now through Jan. 21 at the Decatur Arts Alliance Gallery. Read on to learn more about Atlanta’s paintbrush-wielding superhero — including how many triangles her arm of steel can paint on a ceiling in 48 hours.
CommonCreativ: How did you find your way into the art world?
Julie Ann McKevitt: My grandmother was an artist, but I never thought of myself as an artist or even very good at art. It was just something I had always done for fun. It became an outlet that allowed me freedom outside of the world of straight-A [grades] and perfectionism. I remember coming home from history class in high school after a lesson on Van Gogh and asking my mom if I could paint Starry Night on my wall. She didn’t really think much about it and just said yes. A few hours later, she came into my room and I was drawing all over the wall. I was 15 when I did that! Art was something my parents could always say yes to and something I never felt judged on.
In hindsight, I see how great it was having this creative outlet in my life. I am so lucky to have had that. In college, I pursued a business degree with a minor in dance. I never saw art as a career or even thought it was a viable option, but at the same time, I enjoyed it so much more than a lot of other things I did. Eventually, art found its way back to me. With the encouragement of my amazing and supportive husband, I decided to pursue a career in the arts in 2013.
CC: What do you draw inspiration from?
JM: I love bright colors and simple things that make me happy like flowers, popsicles, and fruit loops. I was never one to think hard and deep about the subject matter I painted. If it made me happy — and usually had a little hot pink in it — I enjoyed painting it! I think my subjects got a little more personal the year my husband and I became foster parents (we are still foster parents today). We’ve fostered four girls since we began and are still fostering today! [A little girl we’ll call Lady A] has been with us since she was two days old and she just turned a year this week! She is adorable and funny and I’m so privileged to be her mom. I had a lot less time to paint once I became a mom. I found I wanted to create but had no energy.
The artist
One time when I found a minute alone to paint, I just sat down crying because I couldn’t think of what to paint, and yet all I wanted to do was create something. It’s strange – sometimes it’s like a hole that happens when I’m away from art for a while. Well, as I was crying, I decided to paint a little girl that was crying. It was totally cathartic. I’ve painted a series of girls since then. I think fostering girls left little to my imagination, but it was my world, and you know how they say “write what you know?” I guess it works with art as well to “make what you know.”
CC: You work with several different mediums — which is your favorite to work with and why?
JM: Acrylic paint is definitely my medium of choice. I never studied art, so for good or bad reasoning… other mediums like oil paint totally scare me. I often feel like an imposter in an art store (even after running an arts non-profit for a few years now). Someday I’ll wander down some new aisles, but being a creature of habit, I’m sticking with acrylic. This is probably a terrible lesson for anyone reading. I’d advise my students to try new things! Experience! Create! But, deep down inside, I like my familiar space. Another reason I love working in [my non-profit] Paint Love is I get to watch other artists create amazing works of art in mediums I have never even heard of. Paint Love has opened my horizons to so much more in the art world. Often times I am in awe of our professional artists as much as our students during a workshop or lesson.
CC: So, is painting on ceilings as difficult as it sounds?
JM: When I was painting more murals, ceilings or walls, I definitely had stronger arms. There is a level of physicality to it when you have to hold your arms up for a while, but I don’t think it was as bad as it sounds. I painted 221 gold triangles on a ceiling once. The difficulty wasn’t necessarily the physicality on that one; it was getting the lines straight. Usually, when I create geometric patterns, it’s on a wall with a level, but levels don’t work on ceilings! I only had about two days and a 12-inch ruler to make those 221 gold triangles. I love how it turned out!
CC: Do you find that your creative process is different when working on a large-scale piece such as a mural than when working on a smaller canvas piece?
JM: I think the creative process is pretty similar for me regardless of the scale. Sometimes smaller canvases can feel even more daunting where every brush stroke seems so much more important. Large-scale works tend to be more forgiving. You have to stand back pretty far to see the whole thing anyway so it all comes together. I’m not stuck picking out a brush stroke when I look at it, but I get to take in the scale and size.
CC: Do you listen to music while you paint?
JM: Oh yeah! I have to play music when I paint. I will play Christmas music as early as humanly possible. But when Christmas music doesn’t seem like a socially acceptable option, I love listening to different acoustic playlists on Spotify. Some artists I’ve been listening to lately include Daughter, Hozier, James TW, Michael Kiwanuka, and Toulouse (from the cool phone commercial with the balloons on the screen). I’m also a sucker for a good Justin Beiber song. My husband and I are big fans of locals Chris Cauley, James David Carter, and Chinua Hawk.
CC: Are there any local artists that you’d like to collaborate with?
JM: Another big yes! I am a big fan of Fahamu Pecou, but have yet to meet him. He recently painted a beautiful piece at the King Memorial Marta Station. It would be an honor to collaborate with him on a project. The two artists that assisted him, JOEKINGATL and Fabian Williams, are also two I admire and would love to collaborate with – Joe is actually one of our Paint Love volunteer artists! Kyle Brooks (aka BlackCatTips), William Massey, Molly Rose Freeman, Olive47, Alex Brewer (aka HENSE) and Lindsay Ryden are all artists I look up to and would love to work with. Oh — and Mike Lowery! I am such a fan of his illustrations.
CC: If you could own a piece of local art, what would it be and why?
JM: Since you said any piece…. I would take Molly Rose Freeman’s 2014 Cabbagetown mural and put it in my house. I would probably need a bigger house, but I’m dreaming here anyway. It’s an awesome piece of art! I love the vibrant colors and my husband loves geometric patterns, so it would be the perfect piece of art for us, aside from being beautiful and well executed! The composition and color behind the piece are so incredible. It’s probably why it is a photographer’s go-to hot spot in Atlanta. The piece I’m talking about was in “Collaboration with Travis Smith, made possible by Wallkeepers and Cabbagetown Initiative. Located at Wylie and Tennelle, across from Esther Peachy Park” and the Georgia Aquarium recently featured it in one of their ads.
CC: How did you become so passionate about connecting youth to the arts to start Paint Love?
JM: I used to work with at-risk youth including children in foster care through a dance class in college. I could tell even then how important the arts could be for children. I got to watch a group of students, several of which had been prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs, grow through dance and music for a semester. Learning skills like drumming, hopping, and skipping in a circle were big accomplishments. And, looking back, I totally understand now the motor and social skills this was helping them develop. It wasn’t just fun, it was impactful.
The arts were an outlet and area of freedom for my life and I wanted every child to be able to experience that. Having an outlet to express feelings or create something unique and beautiful is powerful. It can build confidence and influence a child’s life in so many ways outside of just “play time.” I know now that the arts can increase academic success and decrease drop-out rates, build community, and create new opportunities for growth – both internally and externally. It has been such an honor to see all the artists that have volunteered and joined the Paint Love team. So many believe in the power of art and want to make a difference in the lives of youth.
CC: Can you share a story about a great moment or experience you’ve had through Paint Love?
JM: This summer we had the opportunity to host Camp Peace (a kid’s summer camp for about 40 students affected by domestic violence run by the Women’s Resource Center for women and children) for an art day every Friday at Georgia State University. We had about 40 GSU volunteers come through every week and a new artist to teach the group each Friday. The great part is we got to build relationships with the kids. Some of our projects are really big workshops in schools and we don’t always get to build lasting relationships, but it was wonderful to get to know the kids. We had the opportunity to show their work at the Decatur Library at the end of the summer. We themed the art display around Peace in the Community. We borrowed giant scissors from the city of Decatur, invited the kids to come and made it into a ribbon cutting event for them – like a gallery opening. Many of them have never had their work displayed in public and we wanted to make it extra special. I loved watching the kids point out their pieces and see the pride in their eyes. It was a really great day.
CC: When do you find is the best time for you to create?
JM: Sometimes it’s super late at night and sometimes I can carve out time in the middle of the day. It totally depends on the day. There was a canvas sitting on my shelf basically begging to be painted. I had been looking at it for several weeks thinking about what I wanted to paint on it and one day, when work wasn’t pressing, I grabbed it and painted for several hours. It’s like the hole I was talking about earlier. I had a hole and I just had to create! I wish I had more time to create. There is always something to do with running Paint Love or taking care of my little one, but when I give myself permission to paint for a few hours, I feel more focused and in a great mood. That’s one of the many reasons I started Paint Love. We all have a lot of things to do, but sometimes we just need to give ourselves permission to take time out to create and play. I think doing so gives us a boost and the rest of our to-do list or stressors will seem more manageable. Art is powerful.
See more of Julie Ann McKevitt’s work on her portfolio site.
